Countdown # 51 (of 52)
DC COMICS
WRITER: Paul Dini
ARTISTS: Jesus Saiz
COVER: Andy Kubert, Tim Townshend

The next big maxi-series starts off not with a bang but with a hiss. Darkseid and Desaad are plotting to gain control of the newly-recreated multiverse. The first move in their scheme is to pit Joker's Daughter against the Red Hood in a streetfight which somehow has cosmic implications for all of DC. For someone who hasn't been following DC comics for at least three years, this story will be totally confusing. This is partly because DC has learned, through "52" and other miniseries, how to keep readers in suspense, thus compelling them to buy each new issue, just to make sense of what they read last week. Even the reverse-numbering of this series -- and the bizarre masthead which makes it look like the comic is titled "51" -- contribute to the sense that the reader must get all the coming issues. That is a great marketing tool, and yes, it makes the story suspenseful and intriguing. But it also makes this issue feel unimportant. Budget buyer's hint: just buy the last five issues of the maxiseries and get the gist of the tale. The art is quite good however. It doesn't overload the reader with detail in a desperate attempt to imitate George Perez. But it still makes the characters look quite impressive and makes the action scenes move very fluidly. I'd give it four out of five stars-- but I will have to read the next 51 issues to see if it really deserves such a high rating.